Judge Dirk Sandefur listens to statements from the state and the defense before handing down a sentence for Adam Sanchez Jr. on Thursday in the Cascade County Courthouse. Sanchez was sentenced to life without parole. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

Great Falls Police Officer Clint Houston heads back to the gallery after making a victim impact statememnt during the sentence hearing for Adam Sanchez Jr., on Thursday afternoon in the Cascade County Courthouse. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

Judge Dirk Sandefur listens to statements from the state and the defense before handing down a sentence for Adam Sanchez Jr. on Thursday in the Cascade County Courthouse. Sanchez was sentenced to life without parole. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

Cascade County Sheriff Bob Edwards reacts as Adam Sanchez Jr. was found guilty on all counts on Wednesday afternoon in the Yellowstone County Courthouse.The 12-person jury deliberated for almost five hours before reaching their verdict. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

Robynn Dunn, the wife of Deputy Joe Dunn, embraces Joe Dunn's mother, Linda, after Adam Sanchez Jr. was found guilty on all 5 counts including deliberate homicide in the August 2014 death of Deputy Dunn, on Wednesday at the Yellowstone County Courthouse, October 7, 2015. The 12 person jury deliberated for a little more than 4 hours at the Yellowstone County Courthouse before finding the the defendant guilty. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

Cascade County Attorney John Parker holds up Deputy Joe Dunn's uniform top as he deliver closing arguments in Adam Sanchez Jr.'s deliberate homicide trial at the Yellowstone County Courthouse on Tuesday in Billings. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

Adam Sanchez Jr., talks to his attorney Tom Bartleson of the State Public Defender's Office during closing arguments of his trial on Tuesday at the Yellowstone County Courthouse in Billings, October 6, 2015. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

Josh Racki, the deputy county attorney for Cascade County, provides the prosecution's opening arguments before Judge Dirk Sandefur at the Yellowstone County Courthouse on Tuesday morning. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

Detective Daniel Smith of the Great Falls Police Department provides testimony about a stop stick entered into evidence in the deliberate homicide trial of Adam Sanchez Jr., who is charged with deliberate homicide in the August 2014 death of Cascade County Sheriff's Deputy Joe Dunn. Sanchez is also being tried on four other felony counts during the Billings trial, which is expected to last two weeks. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

Adam Sanchez Jr., talks to his council during his deliberate homicide trial for the August 2014 death of Cascade County Sheriff's Deputy Joe Dunn, Tuesday at the Yellowstone County Courthouse in Billings. Sanchez is also being tried on four other felony counts during the trial which is expected to last 2 weeks. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

Tom Bartleson of the State Public Defender's Office, provides opening arguments while seated, for affect, in front of the jury at the Yellowstone County Courthouse in Billings on Tuesday morning in the deliberate homicide trial of Adam Sanchez Jr., who is charged with deliberate homicide in the August 2014 death of Cascade County Sheriff's Deputy Joe Dunn during a high speed car chase in and around Great Falls. Sanchez is also being tried on four other felony counts during the trial which is expected to last 2 weeks. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

“He gave me a tender kiss, and that was the last time that I saw him,” Robynn Dunn said as she described the last moments she shared with her husband, Deputy Joseph Dunn, 33, before he was killed in the line of duty on Aug. 14, 2014. “I wish I would have never let him go.”

“My sweetheart has been murdered,” Robynn told the court. “There’s a gaping hole in many hearts.”

Robynn was the final victim called by the state to share her impact statement during the sentencing hearing of Adam Sanchez Jr., the man convicted of killing Dunn by striking him with his car.

District Judge Dirk Sandefur sentenced Sanchez to life in prison without parole Thursday at the Cascade County Courthouse.

Robynn recalled the 4th of July parade Joe marched in with their children, Joey, now 6, and Shiloh, now 5. She watched from the street as her son flipped the switches for the lights and sirens in his father’s patrol car and her daughter beam because she was dressed like a “princess” in a red dress.

“I’m the luckiest girl in the world,” she remembers thinking. “I’ll never take it for granted.”

Dunn was killed 41 days later when he was struck by a vehicle while deploying stop sticks during a high-speed chase on U.S. Highway 87/89.

All of the victims providing statements to the court requested the maximum sentence. The deliberate homicide charge filed under the “felony murder rule” by the state does not carry the death penalty as possible punishment.

Sanchez was also sentenced to serve 20 years in prison for assault with a weapon for steering his vehicle toward Great Falls police officer Rick Brinka on River Drive.

“I believe I felt the fear Deputy Dunn felt before he was struck by the same vehicle,” Brinka said in court.

Sanchez will serve 10 years in prison for assault on a peace officer. Sanchez was convicted of punching Officer Clint Houston in the face and damaging the officer’s front teeth during his apprehension.

Judge Dirk Sandefur listens to statements from the state and the defense before handing down a sentence for Adam Sanchez Jr. on Thursday in the Cascade County Courthouse. Sanchez was sentenced to life without parole. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

Great Falls Police Officer Clint Houston heads back to the gallery after making a victim impact statememnt during the sentence hearing for Adam Sanchez Jr., on Thursday afternoon in the Cascade County Courthouse. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

Judge Dirk Sandefur listens to statements from the state and the defense before handing down a sentence for Adam Sanchez Jr. on Thursday in the Cascade County Courthouse. Sanchez was sentenced to life without parole. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

Cascade County Sheriff Bob Edwards reacts as Adam Sanchez Jr. was found guilty on all counts on Wednesday afternoon in the Yellowstone County Courthouse.The 12-person jury deliberated for almost five hours before reaching their verdict. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

Robynn Dunn, the wife of Deputy Joe Dunn, embraces Joe Dunn's mother, Linda, after Adam Sanchez Jr. was found guilty on all 5 counts including deliberate homicide in the August 2014 death of Deputy Dunn, on Wednesday at the Yellowstone County Courthouse, October 7, 2015. The 12 person jury deliberated for a little more than 4 hours at the Yellowstone County Courthouse before finding the the defendant guilty. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

Cascade County Attorney John Parker holds up Deputy Joe Dunn's uniform top as he deliver closing arguments in Adam Sanchez Jr.'s deliberate homicide trial at the Yellowstone County Courthouse on Tuesday in Billings. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

Adam Sanchez Jr., talks to his attorney Tom Bartleson of the State Public Defender's Office during closing arguments of his trial on Tuesday at the Yellowstone County Courthouse in Billings, October 6, 2015. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

Josh Racki, the deputy county attorney for Cascade County, provides the prosecution's opening arguments before Judge Dirk Sandefur at the Yellowstone County Courthouse on Tuesday morning. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

Detective Daniel Smith of the Great Falls Police Department provides testimony about a stop stick entered into evidence in the deliberate homicide trial of Adam Sanchez Jr., who is charged with deliberate homicide in the August 2014 death of Cascade County Sheriff's Deputy Joe Dunn. Sanchez is also being tried on four other felony counts during the Billings trial, which is expected to last two weeks. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

Adam Sanchez Jr., talks to his council during his deliberate homicide trial for the August 2014 death of Cascade County Sheriff's Deputy Joe Dunn, Tuesday at the Yellowstone County Courthouse in Billings. Sanchez is also being tried on four other felony counts during the trial which is expected to last 2 weeks. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

Tom Bartleson of the State Public Defender's Office, provides opening arguments while seated, for affect, in front of the jury at the Yellowstone County Courthouse in Billings on Tuesday morning in the deliberate homicide trial of Adam Sanchez Jr., who is charged with deliberate homicide in the August 2014 death of Cascade County Sheriff's Deputy Joe Dunn during a high speed car chase in and around Great Falls. Sanchez is also being tried on four other felony counts during the trial which is expected to last 2 weeks. TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS

“I remember being scared I wouldn’t make it to the end,” Houston said.

Sanchez was under the influence of methamphetamine, according to court statements and evidence presented at trial.

“Adam Sanchez does not deserve to walk among us as a free man,” Houston added. “We can’t fix this.”

The defendant was also sentenced to 10 years in prison for criminal endangerment for nearly hitting a vehicle with an infant inside and one year at the Cascade County Detention Center for misdemeanor negligent criminal endangerment for nearly striking another vehicle not long before his own car stalled. All of those sentences are to run concurrently, meaning Sanchez received a net sentence of 20 years along with the life without parole sentence.

Sanchez is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence without parole for a previous high-speed chase. The life sentence will run consecutive to that sentence.

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Judge Dirk Sandefur listens to statements from the state and the defense before handing down a sentence for Adam Sanchez Jr. on Thursday in the Cascade County Courthouse. Sanchez was sentenced to life without parole.(Photo11: TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS)

“You do have a choice,” Sandefur said of the defendant’s behavior. “You did have a choice. You’ve made them before.”

Cascade County Attorney John Parker asked the court for the life sentence without possibility of parole, but did not make any specific requests regarding the other charges he proved at trial, noting the other victims cared most about the penalty for the deliberate homicide charge.

Parker told the court Sanchez poses “a massive risk” to reoffend based on his behavior during the pursuit and the other nine or 10 felonies on his criminal record.

“What can the court do here?” Parker asked.

He described the families who attend the parole hearings of convicted killers every five years.

“The court can make sure that when Joey Dunn is 26, and 31, and 36 that he’s not driving to Deer Lodge with his mom and his sister begging,” Parker pointed at Sanchez and raised his voice, “... begging that the man who killed their dad isn’t going to be out to kill someone else!”

Robynn says she can see the loss in her children’s eyes.

“It’s a lonely life,” she said.

“There’s an empty space in my bed. There’s an empty space at our dinner table. There’s an empty space on the couch when we’re having a family night and watching movies. And always will there be an empty space in our heart.”

“I don’t want Adam or his family to think I hate him because I don’t. But I’m not the one he needs to worry about.”

Dunn’s mother, Linda wrote a statement that was read in court because she could not make it to the sentencing due to health reasons. She chronicled her son’s achievements and his strong faith. She indicated she struggled to forgive Sanchez for his actions, but had.

“The loss is massive,” Linda wrote. “He was the heart and soul of our family.”

“I look for the best in everyone,” Brinka said in court, “but I can’t forgive the defendant.”

The emotion throughout the courtroom gallery was audible and visible as Robynn described the tremendous impact her husband’s death has had and continues to have on her life and the lives of her children.

“I’m not giving up,” she said. “We’re not without hope. We amazingly still have peace and joy and love and comfort that only God can bring. And I know that that’s more than the murderer can say.”